The Crappie Minnow school: Rigging Minnows For Crappie Fishing
The Crappie Minnow school: Rigging Minnows For Crappie Fishing
Crappie are a very curious species of fish and they love to attack schools of minnows to satisfy their amazing live bait appetite. The following crappie fishing technique will create a small, tight little group of minnows, each one with a hook in it. If fished properly this small group of minnows can be amazingly successful, and a very productive way of filling your fish basket.
You must get a good rod and reel combo the reel being a small spin cast Variety that accepts 4 to 6lb dia. Test line. The rod needs to be over 8ft long preferably 10ft plus. I personally use a set up that consist of a small spin cast reel that is rated for 6lb test line. The reel is loaded with a braided :fireline that is rated for 10lb test but has a dia. of 4lb test line. My rod is a two piece fly rod 12ft long that I purchased from bass pro shop.
Steps To Success The “Crappie Minnow” Rigging Technique
Step#1 Get yourself (3) three small three way swivels that work for crappie fishing.
Step#2 Get yourself some 3 small spinner blades 6 beads. They make excellent crappie minnow baits.
Step#3 You will need to find some bass or egg sinkers that are 1/4oz. You can find them at any department store fishing tackle area or any local bait shop.
Step#4 Get yourself some 10lb test fire line, this will have the dia. Of 4lb test, now load your spin cast reel.
Step#5 Cut (3) 16” inch pieces of fire line use a Palomar knot to tie on a no1,1/0,2/0 gold Aberdeen crappie hook to each piece of line on one end only. The length needs to end up at approximately 12 inches.
Step#6 Cut (3) 8” inch pieces of fire line, do not tie anything on them at this time. These pieces will be used for spacing between each 3 way swivel, and leader.
Step#7 Release enough fire line out of your rod and reel combo and run it through the eyelets on your rod. Make sure you have enough line extending past the eyelets to work comfortably when you are tying on your crappie fishing rig tackle.
Step#8 Now orient your first three way swivel so when you tie the top eyelet to your fire line there is a second eyelet approximate 90degs located on the left hand side.
Step#9 Pick up one of the 12” leaders you made in step 5 and slide one bead up the line. Next slide one of the spinner blades up the line behind the first bead. Next, Slide another bead up the line behind the spinner blade. Now, tie the end of the leader without the hook to the free eyelet on the 3 way swivel that is on the left side 90degrees from the top.
Step#10 Tie one end of the 8” pieces of fire line you cut in step 6 to the bottom eyelet of the first 3 way swivel, then tie the other end of the line two your second 3 way swivel. Make sure the open eyelet that is 90degrees from the top on the second 3 way swivel is located on the right hand side. After your tying is done, you want to end up with approximately 6” of space between the first and second eyelet.
Step#11 Round up (2) of the beads and (1) of the spinner blades from step five, and slide one bead up the 12” inch leader and then slide on a spinner blade spinner blade. Next slide a second bead up the 12” leader behind the spinner blade. Now tie the end opposite the Aberdeen gold crappie hook. And tie it to the 90deg eyelet that is on the right hand side.
Step#12 Now pick up one of your 8” connecting pieces of fire line and tie one end to last remaining open eyelet of the second three way swivel , then tie the other end to the top eyelet of the third three way swivel, but make sure the open eyelet 90degs from the top is on the right hand side before you tie. When you have completed the tying process you should have approximately 6 inches between the two eyelets.
Step#13 Pick up the last 12” leader you made in step 5 and slide one bead up the line. Next slide one of the spinner blades up the line behind the first bead. Next, Slide another bead up the line behind the spinner blade. Now, tie the end of the leader without the hook to the free eyelet on the third 3 way swivel that is on the right side 90degrees from the top.
Step#14 Tie one end of the 8” pieces of fire line you cut in step 6 to the bottom eyelet of the third 3 way swivel, then tie the other end of the line too your 1/4oz egg or bass sinker. After your tying is done, you want to end up with approximately 6” of space between the third 3 way swivel and the sinker.
Categories: Crappie Fishing Tips Tags: Bait Shop, Bass Pro Shop, Cast Reel, Crappie, crappie fishing, Department Store, Egg Sinkers, Family Secrets, Fireline, Fish Basket, Fishing, Fishing Tackle, Fly Rod, Live Bait, Minnow, Minnows, Reel Combo, Rigging, Rod And Reel, school, Species Of Fish, Spinner Blades, Step 3, Test Line
Ontario Canada Crappie Fishing
Ontario Canada Crappie Fishing
Crappie fishing is a sport that the whole family can enjoy. Crappie remain small, typically around 8 to 12 inches, and weight about a pound. Crappie, unlike other types of fish, do not struggle once they are caught on a hook. Because of the nature of Crappie, young children, senior citizens, and avid fisherman alike are able to catch and reel in Crappie.
There are actually two species of Crappie, distinguishable by there color, spot patterns, and dorsal fins. Primarily you will find Black Crappie in the northern regions, but you may come across a White Crappie as well. Black Crappie’s spots will be randomly placed, while White Crappie will have vertical bands of spots. The most noticeable characteristic is the dorsal fins, Black Crappie with have either 7 or 8, and White Crappie will have 6.
Black Crappie prefer warmer water then their White Crappie counterparts, as well as many other types of fish. You will be able to find them in Southern Canada, and in the Great Lakes Region. Generally, you will not find any type of Crappie in central or northern Canada.
If you are thinking about fishing in Canada, you may want to consider fishing in the water around Georgian Bay and in Lake Simcoe. You can find these waters around the Ontario Canada Area. The Crappie in these waters are extremely over populated. If you are looking for an experience, or to catch a large number of Crappie, you may want to consider visiting these places first.
Essential Equipment Needed When Fishing For Crappie
While there are thousands of different types of fishing equipment available, you will only need the basics to catch Crappie.
Bait
Nothing will work better for Crappie fishing then the bait that the fish on a daily basis. Crappie will always respond to the bait they know before responding to artificial bait. The first thing you must do is find out what the Crappie in your area eat. While minnows is always your best bet, there may be a more predominate bait fish in the water, such as shad. Contact your local government or wildlife/outdoors office, as they can typically help.
While frozen bait is available and will work, when using real bait, the best way to catch crappie is to use live bait. By placing the live bait on the hook through the rear body near the tail, live bait will live for a small amount of time after being placed on the hook. This allows the bait to move and swim, attracting the crappie.
If you do not prefer to use live bait, a variety of artificial weight is also available.
Categories: Crappie Fishing Tips Tags: Black Crappie, Canada, Canada Area, Canada Fishing, Crappie, crappie fishing, Dorsal Fins, Essential Equipment, Fishing, Fishing In Canada, Fishing Ontario, Georgian Bay, Many Other Types, Northern Canada, Northern Regions, Ontario, Ontario Canada, Pound Crappie, Senior Citizens, Southern Canada, Spot Patterns, Types Of Fish, Vertical Bands, White Crappie
What You Should Know about California Crappie Fishing
What You Should Know about California Crappie Fishing
How much do you know about California crappie fishing? You don’t hear a lot about fishing for crappie in California so many people do not realize just how abundant this species is here. In fact, many people may even think that crappie do not live in this area. However, it is interesting to know that even though California is not one of the most well-known places to catch crappie it doesn’t mean they are not there. You may be a little surprised to learn that many of the lakes in California have a large supply of crappie most anytime of the year. Below are the names of a few of the lakes and where they are located in California.
If you are fishing in Northern California there are several lakes where you can find crappie. Lake Oroville, Clear Lake, Lake Berryessa and Folsom Lake are a few. Central California has Lake Camanche, Lake McClure, Pine Flat Lake and The Delta Lake. Southern California is home to San Vicente Lake, Big Bear Lake, El Captain Lake and Lake Sutherland. Of course, there are plenty of other lakes in California where you can find crappie, these are just a few. Any one of these lakes would be a great place to fish for crappie when in California.
There are two main types of crappie which are called the Black crappie and the White crappie. The Black crappie is recognized as being dark in color with spotted sides and seven to eight dorsal spines. These are more common in the northern part of California. White crappie has six dorsal spines, is lighter in color and can have eight or nine bands located vertically down its side. These are more common in the Southern areas.
The best techniques to use when fishing for crappie are casting, trolling, still-fishing and drifting. The one you choose will depend on the lake you are fishing and the weather conditions. As any angler knows, different conditions require different techniques to have the most success. The fishing conditions will also determine the types of rod, reels and other equipment you will need when fishing.
You will find that the crappie will usually travel in schools, which make them easier to catch because when you find one there are normally more around. Spring is always the best time to fish for crappie because this is when they are spawning. During this time you can have a lot of success fishing in medium to shallow water. Live bait, spinners and jigs are the best to use with the techniques listed above.
In the summer the crappie will be deeper in the water during the day but they can still be found in the shallows during the early morning and late evening. Live bait, jigs and spoons are great choices for bait. In the fall live bait and spinners work great during the morning and evening hours while spoons and jigs are recommended for the middle of the day. In the winter the crappie are not quite as active so you have to move your bait slower during this time than other seasons. Using small worms and jigs are recommended for the best results.
Some of the best locations anytime of the year to find crappie will be near grassy areas, stumps, brush and any other covering artificial or natural. There are different methods available that you can use for catching crappie that can be very successful. Trolling is one of these methods in which you use several rods to fish with at one time. Other methods include jigging, drifting, casting and still-fishing.
Categories: Crappie Fishing Tips Tags: About, Big Bear Lake, Black Crappie, California, Camanche Lake, Central California, Clear Lake, Crappie, crappie fishing, Delta Lake, Email, Fishing, Fishing In Northern California, Folsom Lake, Know, Lake Berryessa, Lake Camanche, Lake Mcclure, Lake Oroville, Lake Sutherland, Lakes In California, San Vicente Lake, Sev, Should, Southern California, White Crappie